The present invention relates to a bracket and lock system for the securement, typically at elevated levels, at or near the level of a ceiling, of selected conduits including, without limitation, electrical and fluid conduits.
In the prior art, the securement of pipes in residential, commercial, and industrial environments has been a time consuming, tedious, and expensive undertaking. Further, the process of servicing such conduits, once installed, has also proven to be difficult, expensive, and time consuming.
There exists, in the prior art, various types of brackets having utility in the securement of one or another type of conduit. Such art, as is best known to the inventor, is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 2,625,354 (1953) to Smith, entitled Pipe Supporting and Anchoring means; U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,805 (1967) to Modeme, entitled Two Part Clip for Attaching a Cylindrical Member to a Support; U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,786 (1978) to Moling, entitled Fire Extinguishing System; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,289 (1981) to Herb, entitled Two Part Pipe Clip. Relevant foreign prior art known to the Applicants consist of Swiss Patent No. 306,165 (1955) to Picart, entitled Bracket for the Fixation of Cables.
None of the above, nor other prior art known to the Inventors, discloses a modular conduit system in which the conduit may be nested within a bracket structure for the selective decoupling therefrom and which, further provides for the selective inclusion of insulation about the conduit shielded within a self-contained modular protective heat shield as an exterior plate. Prior art modular conduit systems do not enjoy the structural integrity, or the option of employing insulation, or the ease of installation, as is provided by the structure and system herein. Accordingly, components and systems that exist in the prior art are not practically functional as a heat shield as is the case in the system set forth herein.
The instant invention is formed completely of components which may be selectably coupled, as by snap fitting, together to form common connections between all components, thereof, thereby alleviating the need for much of the laborious aspects associated with installation of conduits and piping as has been known in the prior art.
It is in response to the above described limitations in the prior art that the present invention is directed.
Further, the instant invention constitutes a direct improvement of our co-pending Applications referenced above.